London 2012: The Official Video Game of the Olympic Games – review

Saturday 7 July 2012 19.05 EDT
First published on Saturday 7 July 2012 19.05 EDT

It should come as no surprise that the Games have their own game. Every major and minor competition (yes, even darts) throws up a spin-off, but London 2012, like the Olympics itself, has a much richer heritage than most – from the beloved track and field titles through to the repopularised sports games on Wii and Kinect.

Much of which is here, in the variety of events on offer: from the aforementioned track and field, to gymnastics, swimming, shooting and weightlifting. Graphically, we are in standard territory, and while there's an impressive scoring system to help gamers get into the Olympic spirit, the real treat is in the gameplay, with controls reverting to an old-school combination of button-bashing coupled with the need for perfect timing, which gives each sport its own distinct challenge and sense of achievement.

Unfortunately, the requirement for skill makes the Kinect features feel like something of a bolt-on. Yet, at its core, London 2012 is excellent, a throwback in many ways but with a new look, new sound and, in the run up to the Games, a new purpose.